If the individualistic glass curtain wall is an arresting sight, so too is the unexpected stepped roof – which also connects with nature.
"The unorthodox use of refrigeration panels to create a cantilevering roofline provides protection from the hot Australian summer sun. Yet in winter, the room is awash with light and warmth, providing passive heating to the house, controlled by a series of internal windows."
And given Australia's dry, hot environment, water as a resource and as visual relief were central to the Rossetti's vision for the architecture.
"The floating roof panels have no gutters and the vertical glazing connecting them reveals the rain cascading or trickling down. The rain is collected instead in square side gutters that feed the 30,000L underground greywater tank – the old property's repurposed swimming pool."
In addition, the pool water laps right against the curtain wall, and water shadows race across the interior from both the clerestory windows and curtain wall. The effect is most dramatic in heavy rain, when the water really jumps to life.
The second level of the home overlooks the living room but is screened for privacy by the white wall section. This is the domain of the architect's teenage twins, having two bedrooms, a bathroom and living space. From up here, the view takes in the gently reflective light through clerestory glazing, while the ends of the high space look out to adjacent backyard landscapes.
The central living area flows directly to the outdoor dining space and an entirely edible garden, where every plant yields a fruit, herb or seed – all part of the force-of-nature philosophy.